Are you a cat person or a dog person? A life of raising pets traditionally imbues one with a preference, but a new poll shows Monster Hunter Rise players are overwhelmingly in favor of its canine companions.
According to a Frontline Gaming Japan report, Famitsu recently asked a large group of Monster Hunter Rise players about their in-game preferences. The poll touched on subjects like favorite weapon and favorite monster, eventually culminating in the most important question of all: Palamutes or Palicoes? Out of the 5,285 responses, a stunning 70 percent (3,701 votes) went with the dogs. Cats only garnered 1,584 votes.
Support animals have been a major part of the Monster Hunter franchise for over a decade, but Palamutes are a new addition in Rise. Much like the feline Palicoes, they join you on hunts, providing backup with unique attacks and skills. Palamutes, owing to their hardy stature, are also rideable, kind of like when you were a little kid and every dog bigger than a Pomeranian could double as a noble steed in a pinch during an impromptu photoshoot.
That’s not to say Palicoes are useless in Monster Hunter Rise—mine is very fond of planting healing herbs in the ground while I’m getting my butt kicked—but it’s obvious why folks would prefer the Palamutes. Everything about them is shiny and new, and they help to set Rise apart from the multitude of Monster Hunter games that preceded it. And honestly, you can’t really beat a giant dog that attacks monsters with ninja weapons and drifts like a stuntman in The Fast and the Furious.
Although I’m more of a cat person in the real world, I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hopping on my Palamute’s back and charging off in search of our next target. You had your time in the sun, Palicoes, but now there’s a new top dog.